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[Malifaux]2 Ed- Ripples of Fate! Victorian Horror skirmishgame
No-Quarter
Nothing To FearBut Fear ItselfRegistered User regular
Nothing To FearBut Fear ItselfRegistered User regular
Rules for Wave 2 models are available for free, here:
wyrd-games.net/community/files/file/53-malifaux-wave-2-cards-low-rez/
By the pricking of my thumbs...
malifaux.com
The What?
From the website:
OK Malifaux is pretty badass. I got turned onto it over the summer by chance and was immediately drawn to the dead hookers low scale (cost), the dark Victorian themes and art, unique mechanics (the Fate Deck), the randomized and detailed objectives that extend far beyond "kill eachother", the similarities to Mordheim, and the wealth of different models and units available.
Unique Features:
-I go, you go
This isn't exactly unique, but it bears mentioning that Malifaux plays like chess or checkers, in that I move a model, and then you move a model. There are some exceptions, but as a rule your opponent will never be able to move more than 2 models in a row before you get a turn. This basically means you'll never suffer the "first turn effect" that you see in Warhammer 40k, where your opponent destroys half your force before you've had a chance to do anything. Also, Initiative order for who gets to go first each turn is random, that's right, you could go first every single turn, not at all, or any variation in between.
- Small scale and low price point
A starter kit runs for about $ 30- 40 dollars American, and that actually nets you a pretty decently sized force of about 6 models or so. A game of that size will last about a hour, so you are absolutely getting your money's worth. For reference, a "large" force will entail about 8 models, and will play a game lasting about and hour and a half or two hours. So all told, an average of $60 total will net you the equivalent of a 2000pt force in Warhammer 40k. So basically if you buy an extra one or two models at $8-15 a piece on top of your starter, you have a "full" army. Yes, it's that cheap to play by comparison. Kits are sold unassembled and unpainted.
-Randomized objectives
In every game of Malifaux, there is a Strategy- a main objective that both players share, and Schemes- secondary objectives chosen from a pool. Each player gets 2 schemes for a total of 3 objectives per side. The trick is that you choose Schemes from a random pool of 5, and you don't necessarily have to reveal which schemes you picked to your opponent. This means that both players can and will be competing for completely different objectives and can tailor their lists in different ways to accomplish different things. In some ways, you're often playing a different game than your opponent!
- NO DICE
Nope! None at all! A major part of how Malifaux differs, is that instead of using dice to determine random chance for success or failure, it uses the "Fate Deck" which is a standard deck of poker cards with both Jokers thrown in for 54 cards total. Wyrd makes specialized and fancy Fate Decks, but you can totally use an everyday average deck of poker cards.
"Duels" as they are called, are determined by each player flipping a card off the top of their own fate deck and adding the relevant stats (Melee, defense, Casting, etc) to the number on the card and comparing the totals. An Ace counts as "1," Jacks are an "11," Queens are a "12," and Kings are a "13." The suits on the cards you flip (converted as Hearts= Rams, Spades = Crows, Clubs = Tomes, and Diamonds = Masks) also play a part as they can set off various triggers on abilities such as extra/ special actions, critical hits, elemental damage, summoning dead hookers etc.
Part of what makes this system truly awesome is that each turn players get to draw 6 cards that serve as their "hand" during their turn. These cards can be used to "cheat fate," and allow you to substitute cards from your hand in place of the cards you flipped during a Duel. This introduces a lot more control over your actions than you would receive with standard dice rolls, as you can always "cheat" a high card (or a card with a relevant suit) in on critical Duels, or duels where you flipped poorly. It also allows for some element of bluffing strategy as you can trick your opponent into "cheating" high cards into duels you never intended to win. And when the survival of your dead hookers are on the line, you'll need every advantage you can get.
Here is a gigantic picture of one of the groovy specialized decks that Wyrd sells, but remember you can always use a standard set of poker cards if you are willing to translate the suits:
whywishabishouldhire.me/images/malifaux-fate-deck.jpg
- Strong factional/ crew identity
In Malifaux, you won't see endless armies of Marine variants clogging up tables with only fairly minor discrepancies between forces. Factions have strong themes, and even within the factions you'll see large divergences between the playstyles of the various Masters and units at their disposal.
Sounds neat, what do I need:
1. The 2nd Edition rulebook and cards for the units/ models/ upgrades you are using. The cards that came with the original model kits for 1st ed and 1.5 ed are no longer usable. The 2nd edition cards can be acquired either by- purchasing one of the 2nd edition starter kit (it will have 2e stamped on it) to receive the cards available for models in that kit, or the "Arsenal Decks" which go by faction and contain ALL the cards for that faction's Wave 1models and all of the generic/ Master specific upgrades.
Currently, only "Wave 1" models have Arsenal Decks available, but wave 2's pdfs are available for free online here- wyrd-games.net/community/files/file/53-malifaux-wave-2-cards-low-rez/
For quick reference, Wave 1 models by faction:
2. A tape measure
3. A 3x3 foot gaming surface with appropriate terrain.
4. Tokens that can be used for scheme/ corpse/ scrap markers, or for generic spell effects etc. Coins and bottle caps work in a pinch.
5. Each player needs a Fate deck (either the "official" decks sold by Wyrd, or a standard deck of 54 poker cards with both jokers included.)
6. A crew, which are sold in many convenient starter sets which run about $40 dollars a piece. These are excellent jump-off points, and unlike certain other table top games, these starters are representative of about 75% of a full force so you don't need to drop hundreds of dollars to own a "complete" army of dead hookers.
FACTIONS:
The Guild: Malifaux is a place of great danger, but also great opportunity. The soulstones mined from Malifaux's landscape are beyond precious. They are magic coalesced, and they fetch an absurdly high price back Earth-side. The Guild, which is really nothing more than an organization of various corporate interests, facilitates the excavation of soulstones, their transfer back Earth-side, and the bureaucracy that governs this new frontier. The Guild cannot flourish amid chaos, and so it is necessary for it to protect its investments. For this reason the Guild is the "law" in Malifaux, and they serve as both constabulary and army to protect Malifaux's citizens, but do not think them altruistic. The Guild exists for one reason only: profit. Besides the ubiquitous Guild Guard who deal with most domestic issues, the Guild has specific departments/allies trained to deal with the specific threats encountered in this dangerous dimension. The Witch Hunters to deal with the burgeoning magical prowess that finds its spark in potentially every new immigrant. For the Undead threat posed by the Ressurectionists, the Deathmarshals serve as a form of cracked-out Ghostbusters. Finally, to deal with nightmarish monstrosities of the Neverborn the Guild has contracted the gun-slinging Ortega family. The Guild tends to have "Western" theme, though they also have many constructs lending toward steampunk.
In playstyle the Guild is the most "human" faction, with various and well-equipped specialists designed to deal with every possible threat. The Guild also features a straightforward and fairly aggressive playstyle, which isn't to say that they can't be sneaky (Lucius), merely that Guild units are intuitive with obvious uses and benefits. Because of this, the Guild is a good choice for starting players.
2nd edition plastic MODELS!
Lady Justice (Blind Samurai with ghost-rider cowboy Ghostbuster people!) 2nd ed set: (spoiled for huge)
Sonnia Creed (Buuuuurn the Witches!) 2nd edition set due out in December 2013: (again huge)
Ressurectionists:
The Undead. As stated in the Arcanist section, every person that enters Malifaux gains some amount of magical power. Where The Ressers and Arcanists differ, however, is that they have turned their magic toward the resurrection of the dead, and the desire for immortality. They perform their dark work in the confines of Malifaux's Quarantined Section, where Guild presence is non-existent. Due to their desecration of the dead, and the hideous actions they turn these ghosts, ghouls, and zombies toward, the Guild enjoys sincere popular support in their efforts to combat the Ressurectionist threat. The Ressers have a fairly gothic theme, with everything from the ghosts of hanged men, to stitched together monsters ala Frankenstein. There is one Master, Kirarai, who has a ghost-based theme influenced by Japanese horror movies like the Grudge and the Ring who bucks this trend, however.
In playstyle, Ressers are resilient and plentiful foes. Every Master in the Faction has a way of recouping losses or creating new troops mid-battle from the bodies of the dead. They also enjoy plentiful "debuff" effects to degrade the effectiveness of enemy models. Almost every model in-faction has above average resilience, and that which is killed off can be brought back to un-life again. This makes Ressers a fairly forgiving faction, and a good starting point for new players. They also tend to get "better" as your collection of models grows, as well, because you can always summon in new and different units as circumstances change through the game.
Seamus (dead hookers!) 2nd edition set: (huuuge)
McMourning (doc frankenstin!) 2nd ed set due out in January 2014: (huge)
Arcanists:
Every person that travels through the Breach into Malifaux is changed by the surge of magic that washes over them. Almost all develop some magical ability, and while most are minor in nature, some become capable of astonishing feats of magic and will. From commanding nature to manipulating time and space itself, these special individuals attract the unfortunate attention of the Guild, who view these souls as threats to be ruthlessly controlled and subjugated. The Arcanists, as the Guild calls them, are a group of rebels and malcontents who refuse to endure the Guild's tyranny. The Arcanists have found a home in the Miners & Steamfitters Union, run by Victor Ramos, who is himself an Arcanist. The Arcanists are not however, a clean organization and are in many ways just as corrupt as the Guild, forming a black market soulstone trade. While every Faction in Malifaux features magic, the Arcanists theme revolves around this magicky-ness. Think of the Arcanists as having mutant-power-like abilities mixed with Union strikers and a dash of steampunk.
In play, Arcanist crews tend to be keyed toward specific elements or concepts, be it animals, cold, metal, or quantum manipulation. Their Masters command powerful abilities and tend toward the "blastier" side of things, but are often fairly fragile to compensate. Arcanist units on the otherhand, are often very resilient with golems made from Ice or metal.
Rasputina 2nd ed set (Ice witch): (huge)
Marcus 2nd ed set, due out in January: (huge)
Neverborn:
Malifaux is not an empty dimension, and its original inhabitants cling to it like flies on a corpse. The Neverborn themselves take many forms, but all of them are horrific. Just about every horrible monster or creature ever conceived of Earth-side can find its parallel in the Neverborn. Whether this is simply coincidence or because human fears actively inform upon Neverborn physiology is unknown. The question is irrelevant, however, when one is being messily devoured by a gigantic and hideous effigy of a child's Teddy Bear. The Neverborn theme is just about any horror-cliche that doesn't involve the undead. So Nightmares and Demons, mostly.
In playstyle, the Neverborn are the "finesse" faction of Malifaux. While the Guild would prefer to run forward and beat your face in, the Neverborn come at you "sideways" with everything from indirect damage to misdirection. A good example of this is Pandora's crew, which specializes in screwing with enemy model activation order to give themselves an edge, and plucking away at enemy wounds one failed Willpower test at a time. The Faction features copious control effects, and a large diversity of utility models. Due to the amount of rule interactions and knowledge necessary to run a Neverborn crew effectively, they tend to be a little less plug and play than the Guild. This isn't to dissuade new players who find the Faction interesting, merely a warning that their learning curve is higher than average.
Lilith 2nd ed set (Hot mommy + monsters!): (huge)
Pandora 2nd ed set (Her name is Pandora, she has a box. Ghosts come out of it) due out end of November: (huge)
Outcasts:
The most diverse faction. The Outcasts are not a centralized faction so much as a collection of myriad persons and groups that don't fit neatly into the other groups. Outcast crews are myriad, and run the gamut from simple mercs, samurai ronin, a steampunk necromancer, and a women possessed by the elemental embodiment of Nothingness.
Vikktorias 2nd ed set (twins with their all-female samurai crew): (huge)
For reference:
wyrd-games.net/shop/MALIFAUX-2nd-Edition/ - The online store with the rulebook, Arsenal Decks, and released starter model kits. Note that you can still use the old models as long as you have the appropriate 2nd edition cards.
wyrd-games.net/forumdisplay.php?240-M2E-Wave-2-Beta - This is the forum for the Wave 2 Beta, there is a download link for the Wave 2 beta cards.
NEW RELEASE SCHEDULE!!! malifaux.com/M2eReleases.php
Dumb legal crap- all this stuff is property of Wyrd Miniatures LLC, PLEASE DON'T SUE ME!
wyrd-games.net/community/files/file/53-malifaux-wave-2-cards-low-rez/
By the pricking of my thumbs...
malifaux.com
The What?
From the website:
Are you willing to risk your soul for a chance at great wealth and power? It's your only weapon in a world rife with monsters, necropunks, man-machine hybrids, gunslingers, and power-hungry politicos. In Malifaux, you lead your Crew in the battle for control of the Breach, a dark portal to a world of limitless magic.
Malifaux is a character-driven 32mm tabletop miniatures game. Players collect, build, and paint models representing the denizens of Malifaux, pitting these models against one another in groups called Crews for control of the precious resource known as Soulstones.
A Crew can contain several different types of models depending on how a player constructs it. Masters can manipulate the course of events in the world around them, changing their own Fates through their control or theft of Soulstones. A variety of fantastic and frightening beings, collectively known as Minions, serve the Master as fodder in his or her machinations. In addition, Henchmen can lead specialized Crews in their Master's absence, or serve their Master directly as a member of a Crew. Masters and Henchmen are also supported by Totems, extensions of their magical abilities which increase their spellcasting range and provide additional aid in an Encounter. Lastly, each Master can transform itself into a powerful Avatar, representing a specific aspect of their personality.
How well a Crew carries out its leader's Strategy and Schemes determines whether or not it will emerge victorious in an Encounter with an enemy Crew. Strategies represent the Crew's main path to victory, while Schemes are simpler alternate routes to achieve the leader's goals.
Malifaux players use decks of cards called Fate Decks to resolve game events such as attacking and spell-casting. Players can manipulate the cards they play to alter the Duel's outcome. It takes a shrewd leader to effectively utilize a Crew's resources, ensuring he or she always has ready the cards needed to Cheat Fate.
Be prepared to fight to the death because Malifaux is the end of the line!
OK Malifaux is pretty badass. I got turned onto it over the summer by chance and was immediately drawn to the dead hookers low scale (cost), the dark Victorian themes and art, unique mechanics (the Fate Deck), the randomized and detailed objectives that extend far beyond "kill eachother", the similarities to Mordheim, and the wealth of different models and units available.
Unique Features:
-I go, you go
This isn't exactly unique, but it bears mentioning that Malifaux plays like chess or checkers, in that I move a model, and then you move a model. There are some exceptions, but as a rule your opponent will never be able to move more than 2 models in a row before you get a turn. This basically means you'll never suffer the "first turn effect" that you see in Warhammer 40k, where your opponent destroys half your force before you've had a chance to do anything. Also, Initiative order for who gets to go first each turn is random, that's right, you could go first every single turn, not at all, or any variation in between.
- Small scale and low price point
A starter kit runs for about $ 30- 40 dollars American, and that actually nets you a pretty decently sized force of about 6 models or so. A game of that size will last about a hour, so you are absolutely getting your money's worth. For reference, a "large" force will entail about 8 models, and will play a game lasting about and hour and a half or two hours. So all told, an average of $60 total will net you the equivalent of a 2000pt force in Warhammer 40k. So basically if you buy an extra one or two models at $8-15 a piece on top of your starter, you have a "full" army. Yes, it's that cheap to play by comparison. Kits are sold unassembled and unpainted.
-Randomized objectives
In every game of Malifaux, there is a Strategy- a main objective that both players share, and Schemes- secondary objectives chosen from a pool. Each player gets 2 schemes for a total of 3 objectives per side. The trick is that you choose Schemes from a random pool of 5, and you don't necessarily have to reveal which schemes you picked to your opponent. This means that both players can and will be competing for completely different objectives and can tailor their lists in different ways to accomplish different things. In some ways, you're often playing a different game than your opponent!
- NO DICE
Nope! None at all! A major part of how Malifaux differs, is that instead of using dice to determine random chance for success or failure, it uses the "Fate Deck" which is a standard deck of poker cards with both Jokers thrown in for 54 cards total. Wyrd makes specialized and fancy Fate Decks, but you can totally use an everyday average deck of poker cards.
"Duels" as they are called, are determined by each player flipping a card off the top of their own fate deck and adding the relevant stats (Melee, defense, Casting, etc) to the number on the card and comparing the totals. An Ace counts as "1," Jacks are an "11," Queens are a "12," and Kings are a "13." The suits on the cards you flip (converted as Hearts= Rams, Spades = Crows, Clubs = Tomes, and Diamonds = Masks) also play a part as they can set off various triggers on abilities such as extra/ special actions, critical hits, elemental damage, summoning dead hookers etc.
Part of what makes this system truly awesome is that each turn players get to draw 6 cards that serve as their "hand" during their turn. These cards can be used to "cheat fate," and allow you to substitute cards from your hand in place of the cards you flipped during a Duel. This introduces a lot more control over your actions than you would receive with standard dice rolls, as you can always "cheat" a high card (or a card with a relevant suit) in on critical Duels, or duels where you flipped poorly. It also allows for some element of bluffing strategy as you can trick your opponent into "cheating" high cards into duels you never intended to win. And when the survival of your dead hookers are on the line, you'll need every advantage you can get.
Here is a gigantic picture of one of the groovy specialized decks that Wyrd sells, but remember you can always use a standard set of poker cards if you are willing to translate the suits:
whywishabishouldhire.me/images/malifaux-fate-deck.jpg
- Strong factional/ crew identity
In Malifaux, you won't see endless armies of Marine variants clogging up tables with only fairly minor discrepancies between forces. Factions have strong themes, and even within the factions you'll see large divergences between the playstyles of the various Masters and units at their disposal.
Sounds neat, what do I need:
1. The 2nd Edition rulebook and cards for the units/ models/ upgrades you are using. The cards that came with the original model kits for 1st ed and 1.5 ed are no longer usable. The 2nd edition cards can be acquired either by- purchasing one of the 2nd edition starter kit (it will have 2e stamped on it) to receive the cards available for models in that kit, or the "Arsenal Decks" which go by faction and contain ALL the cards for that faction's Wave 1models and all of the generic/ Master specific upgrades.
Currently, only "Wave 1" models have Arsenal Decks available, but wave 2's pdfs are available for free online here- wyrd-games.net/community/files/file/53-malifaux-wave-2-cards-low-rez/
For quick reference, Wave 1 models by faction:
The Guild:
The Ressurectionists:
The Arcanists:
The Neverborn:
Outcasts:
The Ten Thunders:
Gremlins (new faction!):
When I get more time, I'll write out what models are in Wave 2, but to put it simply, if they aren't in the Wave 1 list above, they're in Wave 2 as that is the rest of the line.
Masters:
Lady Justice
- Scales of Justice (totem)
Perdita Ortega
- Enslaved Nephilim (totem)
Sonia Criid
- Purifying Flame (totem)
Generic Totem
- Governor's proxy (totem)
Henchmen:
Fransisco Ortega
Samael Hopkins
The Judge
Minions/peons:
Death Marshal
Executioner
Guild Austringer
Guild Guard
Nino Ortega
Papa Loco
Peacekeeper
Santiago Ortega
The Lone Marshal
Witchling Stalker
Lady Justice
- Scales of Justice (totem)
Perdita Ortega
- Enslaved Nephilim (totem)
Sonia Criid
- Purifying Flame (totem)
Generic Totem
- Governor's proxy (totem)
Henchmen:
Fransisco Ortega
Samael Hopkins
The Judge
Minions/peons:
Death Marshal
Executioner
Guild Austringer
Guild Guard
Nino Ortega
Papa Loco
Peacekeeper
Santiago Ortega
The Lone Marshal
Witchling Stalker
The Ressurectionists:
Masters:
Mcmourning (Dual faction Guild)
- Zombie Chihuahua (totem)
Nicodem
- Vulture (totem)
Seamus
- Copycat Killer (totem)
Generic Totem
- Graveyard Spirit (totem)
Henchmen:
Madame Sybelle
Mortimer
Sebastian
Minions/peons:
Bete Noire
Canine Remains
Crooked Man
Flesh Construct
Mindless Zombie
Necropunk
Nurse
Punk Zombie
Rotten Belle (These are the dead hookers!)
The Hanged
Mcmourning (Dual faction Guild)
- Zombie Chihuahua (totem)
Nicodem
- Vulture (totem)
Seamus
- Copycat Killer (totem)
Generic Totem
- Graveyard Spirit (totem)
Henchmen:
Madame Sybelle
Mortimer
Sebastian
Minions/peons:
Bete Noire
Canine Remains
Crooked Man
Flesh Construct
Mindless Zombie
Necropunk
Nurse
Punk Zombie
Rotten Belle (These are the dead hookers!)
The Hanged
The Arcanists:
Marcus
- Jackalope
Ramos
- Brass Arachnid
Rasputina
- Wendigo
Generic Totem
- Essence of Power (totem)
Henchmen
Joss
Myranda
Minions/ peoons:
Cojo
December Acolyte
Electric Creation
Hoarcat Pride
Howard Langston
Ice Gamin
Ice Golem
Metal Gamin
Moleman
Rail Golem
Razorspine Rattler
Sabretooth Cerberus
Steam Arachnid
Steam Arachnid Swarm
- Jackalope
Ramos
- Brass Arachnid
Rasputina
- Wendigo
Generic Totem
- Essence of Power (totem)
Henchmen
Joss
Myranda
Minions/ peoons:
Cojo
December Acolyte
Electric Creation
Hoarcat Pride
Howard Langston
Ice Gamin
Ice Golem
Metal Gamin
Moleman
Rail Golem
Razorspine Rattler
Sabretooth Cerberus
Steam Arachnid
Steam Arachnid Swarm
The Neverborn:
Lilith
- Cherub
Pandora
- Poltergeist
Zoraida (Dual faction Gremlins)
- Voodoo Doll
Generic Totem
- Primordial Magic (totem)
Henchmen:
Bad Juju
Barbaros
Candy
Minions/ peons:
Baby Kade
Beckoner
Doppelganger
Mature Nephilim
Silurid
Sorrow
Teddy
Terror Tot
Waldgeist
Young Nephilim
- Cherub
Pandora
- Poltergeist
Zoraida (Dual faction Gremlins)
- Voodoo Doll
Generic Totem
- Primordial Magic (totem)
Henchmen:
Bad Juju
Barbaros
Candy
Minions/ peons:
Baby Kade
Beckoner
Doppelganger
Mature Nephilim
Silurid
Sorrow
Teddy
Terror Tot
Waldgeist
Young Nephilim
Outcasts:
Tara* (Dual faction Ressurectionists)
- Karina (totem)*
Viktoria of Ashes (/ her twin Vikktoria of Blood)
- Student of Conflict (totem)
Von Schill
- Steam Trunk
Generic Totems
- Malifaux Child (totem)
Henchmen:
Hannah
Taelor
Viktoria of Blood (is free/ required to take with her twin, Vikktoria of Ashes)
Minions:
Bishop
Convict Gunslinger
Desperate Mercenary
Freikorps Specialist
Freikorpsmann
Hans
Johan
Killjoy
Ronin
The Nothing Beast*
Vanessa
Void Wretch*
* A note on Tara's crew- her models currently exist only as a Limited Edition "Nightmare Edition" that was available for purchase at Gencon2013, so if you're dying to play as Tara now without proxxies, you had better get you're wallet ready to take a big hit on ebay. Her crew will receive a "regular" version eventually.
- Karina (totem)*
Viktoria of Ashes (/ her twin Vikktoria of Blood)
- Student of Conflict (totem)
Von Schill
- Steam Trunk
Generic Totems
- Malifaux Child (totem)
Henchmen:
Hannah
Taelor
Viktoria of Blood (is free/ required to take with her twin, Vikktoria of Ashes)
Minions:
Bishop
Convict Gunslinger
Desperate Mercenary
Freikorps Specialist
Freikorpsmann
Hans
Johan
Killjoy
Ronin
The Nothing Beast*
Vanessa
Void Wretch*
* A note on Tara's crew- her models currently exist only as a Limited Edition "Nightmare Edition" that was available for purchase at Gencon2013, so if you're dying to play as Tara now without proxxies, you had better get you're wallet ready to take a big hit on ebay. Her crew will receive a "regular" version eventually.
The Ten Thunders:
Jakob Lynch (Dual Faction Neverborn)
- Hungering Darkness (is also technically a henchman)
Mei Feng (Dual Faction Arcanists)
- Emberling
Misaki (Dual Faction Outcasts)
- Shang
Henchmen:
Kang
Ototo
Yamaziko
Minions:
Dawn Serpent
Fuhatsu
Monk of Low River
Oiran
Rail Worker
Samurai
The Illuminated
Ten Thunders Archer
Torakage
- Hungering Darkness (is also technically a henchman)
Mei Feng (Dual Faction Arcanists)
- Emberling
Misaki (Dual Faction Outcasts)
- Shang
Henchmen:
Kang
Ototo
Yamaziko
Minions:
Dawn Serpent
Fuhatsu
Monk of Low River
Oiran
Rail Worker
Samurai
The Illuminated
Ten Thunders Archer
Torakage
Gremlins (new faction!):
Masters:
Ophelia
- Young LaCroix (totem)
Som'er Teeth Jones
- Skeeter (totem)
The Brewmaster
- Apprentice Wesley (totem)
Henchmen:
Fingers
Francois LaCroix
Minions/peons:
Bayou Gremlin
Hog Whisperer
Lenny
Moon Shinobi
Pere Ravage
Pigapult
Piglet
Rami LaCroix
Raphael LaCroix
Slop Hauler
War Pig
Whiskey Golem
Ophelia
- Young LaCroix (totem)
Som'er Teeth Jones
- Skeeter (totem)
The Brewmaster
- Apprentice Wesley (totem)
Henchmen:
Fingers
Francois LaCroix
Minions/peons:
Bayou Gremlin
Hog Whisperer
Lenny
Moon Shinobi
Pere Ravage
Pigapult
Piglet
Rami LaCroix
Raphael LaCroix
Slop Hauler
War Pig
Whiskey Golem
When I get more time, I'll write out what models are in Wave 2, but to put it simply, if they aren't in the Wave 1 list above, they're in Wave 2 as that is the rest of the line.
2. A tape measure
3. A 3x3 foot gaming surface with appropriate terrain.
4. Tokens that can be used for scheme/ corpse/ scrap markers, or for generic spell effects etc. Coins and bottle caps work in a pinch.
5. Each player needs a Fate deck (either the "official" decks sold by Wyrd, or a standard deck of 54 poker cards with both jokers included.)
6. A crew, which are sold in many convenient starter sets which run about $40 dollars a piece. These are excellent jump-off points, and unlike certain other table top games, these starters are representative of about 75% of a full force so you don't need to drop hundreds of dollars to own a "complete" army of dead hookers.
FACTIONS:
The Guild: Malifaux is a place of great danger, but also great opportunity. The soulstones mined from Malifaux's landscape are beyond precious. They are magic coalesced, and they fetch an absurdly high price back Earth-side. The Guild, which is really nothing more than an organization of various corporate interests, facilitates the excavation of soulstones, their transfer back Earth-side, and the bureaucracy that governs this new frontier. The Guild cannot flourish amid chaos, and so it is necessary for it to protect its investments. For this reason the Guild is the "law" in Malifaux, and they serve as both constabulary and army to protect Malifaux's citizens, but do not think them altruistic. The Guild exists for one reason only: profit. Besides the ubiquitous Guild Guard who deal with most domestic issues, the Guild has specific departments/allies trained to deal with the specific threats encountered in this dangerous dimension. The Witch Hunters to deal with the burgeoning magical prowess that finds its spark in potentially every new immigrant. For the Undead threat posed by the Ressurectionists, the Deathmarshals serve as a form of cracked-out Ghostbusters. Finally, to deal with nightmarish monstrosities of the Neverborn the Guild has contracted the gun-slinging Ortega family. The Guild tends to have "Western" theme, though they also have many constructs lending toward steampunk.
In playstyle the Guild is the most "human" faction, with various and well-equipped specialists designed to deal with every possible threat. The Guild also features a straightforward and fairly aggressive playstyle, which isn't to say that they can't be sneaky (Lucius), merely that Guild units are intuitive with obvious uses and benefits. Because of this, the Guild is a good choice for starting players.
2nd edition plastic MODELS!
Lady Justice (Blind Samurai with ghost-rider cowboy Ghostbuster people!) 2nd ed set: (spoiled for huge)
Sonnia Creed (Buuuuurn the Witches!) 2nd edition set due out in December 2013: (again huge)
Ressurectionists:
The Undead. As stated in the Arcanist section, every person that enters Malifaux gains some amount of magical power. Where The Ressers and Arcanists differ, however, is that they have turned their magic toward the resurrection of the dead, and the desire for immortality. They perform their dark work in the confines of Malifaux's Quarantined Section, where Guild presence is non-existent. Due to their desecration of the dead, and the hideous actions they turn these ghosts, ghouls, and zombies toward, the Guild enjoys sincere popular support in their efforts to combat the Ressurectionist threat. The Ressers have a fairly gothic theme, with everything from the ghosts of hanged men, to stitched together monsters ala Frankenstein. There is one Master, Kirarai, who has a ghost-based theme influenced by Japanese horror movies like the Grudge and the Ring who bucks this trend, however.
In playstyle, Ressers are resilient and plentiful foes. Every Master in the Faction has a way of recouping losses or creating new troops mid-battle from the bodies of the dead. They also enjoy plentiful "debuff" effects to degrade the effectiveness of enemy models. Almost every model in-faction has above average resilience, and that which is killed off can be brought back to un-life again. This makes Ressers a fairly forgiving faction, and a good starting point for new players. They also tend to get "better" as your collection of models grows, as well, because you can always summon in new and different units as circumstances change through the game.
Seamus (dead hookers!) 2nd edition set: (huuuge)
McMourning (doc frankenstin!) 2nd ed set due out in January 2014: (huge)
Arcanists:
Every person that travels through the Breach into Malifaux is changed by the surge of magic that washes over them. Almost all develop some magical ability, and while most are minor in nature, some become capable of astonishing feats of magic and will. From commanding nature to manipulating time and space itself, these special individuals attract the unfortunate attention of the Guild, who view these souls as threats to be ruthlessly controlled and subjugated. The Arcanists, as the Guild calls them, are a group of rebels and malcontents who refuse to endure the Guild's tyranny. The Arcanists have found a home in the Miners & Steamfitters Union, run by Victor Ramos, who is himself an Arcanist. The Arcanists are not however, a clean organization and are in many ways just as corrupt as the Guild, forming a black market soulstone trade. While every Faction in Malifaux features magic, the Arcanists theme revolves around this magicky-ness. Think of the Arcanists as having mutant-power-like abilities mixed with Union strikers and a dash of steampunk.
In play, Arcanist crews tend to be keyed toward specific elements or concepts, be it animals, cold, metal, or quantum manipulation. Their Masters command powerful abilities and tend toward the "blastier" side of things, but are often fairly fragile to compensate. Arcanist units on the otherhand, are often very resilient with golems made from Ice or metal.
Rasputina 2nd ed set (Ice witch): (huge)
Marcus 2nd ed set, due out in January: (huge)
Neverborn:
Malifaux is not an empty dimension, and its original inhabitants cling to it like flies on a corpse. The Neverborn themselves take many forms, but all of them are horrific. Just about every horrible monster or creature ever conceived of Earth-side can find its parallel in the Neverborn. Whether this is simply coincidence or because human fears actively inform upon Neverborn physiology is unknown. The question is irrelevant, however, when one is being messily devoured by a gigantic and hideous effigy of a child's Teddy Bear. The Neverborn theme is just about any horror-cliche that doesn't involve the undead. So Nightmares and Demons, mostly.
In playstyle, the Neverborn are the "finesse" faction of Malifaux. While the Guild would prefer to run forward and beat your face in, the Neverborn come at you "sideways" with everything from indirect damage to misdirection. A good example of this is Pandora's crew, which specializes in screwing with enemy model activation order to give themselves an edge, and plucking away at enemy wounds one failed Willpower test at a time. The Faction features copious control effects, and a large diversity of utility models. Due to the amount of rule interactions and knowledge necessary to run a Neverborn crew effectively, they tend to be a little less plug and play than the Guild. This isn't to dissuade new players who find the Faction interesting, merely a warning that their learning curve is higher than average.
Lilith 2nd ed set (Hot mommy + monsters!): (huge)
Pandora 2nd ed set (Her name is Pandora, she has a box. Ghosts come out of it) due out end of November: (huge)
Outcasts:
The most diverse faction. The Outcasts are not a centralized faction so much as a collection of myriad persons and groups that don't fit neatly into the other groups. Outcast crews are myriad, and run the gamut from simple mercs, samurai ronin, a steampunk necromancer, and a women possessed by the elemental embodiment of Nothingness.
Vikktorias 2nd ed set (twins with their all-female samurai crew): (huge)
For reference:
wyrd-games.net/shop/MALIFAUX-2nd-Edition/ - The online store with the rulebook, Arsenal Decks, and released starter model kits. Note that you can still use the old models as long as you have the appropriate 2nd edition cards.
wyrd-games.net/forumdisplay.php?240-M2E-Wave-2-Beta - This is the forum for the Wave 2 Beta, there is a download link for the Wave 2 beta cards.
NEW RELEASE SCHEDULE!!! malifaux.com/M2eReleases.php
Sep - 2013
WYR20001 Second Editon Book $40.00
WYR20002 Guild Arsenal Box - Wave 1 $8 .00
WYR20003 Resurrectionists Arsenal Box - Wave 1 $8 .00
WYR20004 Arcanists Arsenal Box - Wave 1 $8 .00
WYR20005 Neverborn Arsenal Box - Wave 1 $8 .00
WYR20006 Outcast Arsenal Box - Wave 1 $8 .00
WYR20007 Gremlin Arsenal Box - Wave 1 $8 .00
WYR20008 Ten Thunders Arsenal Box - Wave 1 $8 .00
WYR20101 Lady Justice Crew - The Guild's Judgement $45.00
WYR20201 Seamus Crew - Shadows of Redchapel $40.00
Oct - 2013
WYR20401 Lilith Crew - Mother of Monsters $40.00
WYR20303 Rasputina Crew - Children of December $45.00
Nov - 2013
WYR20501 Viktorias Crew - Hired Swords $45.00
WYR20402 Pandora Crew- No Shelter Here $45.00
WYR20104 Death Marshals (3) $24.00
WYR20204 Rotten Belles (3) $21.00
Dec- 2013
WYR20404 Nephilim (3) $40.00
WYR20407 Terror Tots (3) $15.00
WYR20307 Ice Gamin (3) $15.00
WYR20301 Ramos Crew - The M&SU $50.00
WYR20102 Sonnia Crew Set - The Torch and the Blade $40.00
WYR20317 Steam Arachnid Swarm $10.00
Jan - 2014
WYR20505 Ronins (3) $21.00
WYR20302 Marcus Crew - Claw and Fang $50.00
WYR20203 McMourning Crew - Body of Evidence $45.00
WYR20406 Sorrows (3) $18.00
WYR20108 The Lone Marshal $35.00
WYR20309 Cojo $18.00
WYR20315 Razorspine Rattler $18.00
WYR20316 Sabertooth Cerberus $18.00
WYR20706 Fuhatsu
Dumb legal crap- all this stuff is property of Wyrd Miniatures LLC, PLEASE DON'T SUE ME!
No-Quarter on
+1
Posts
I think once my flgs can get some new product in we can start rebuilding.
eNozN1RVNTYwUDVRNVUzUjOsMVQzRCON1UyApAmYbQZRYwaRBlOqZSYA7ZUOyQ==
What crews do you play?
I currently have 2.0 Seamus set, 2.0 Lady Justice set, 2.0 Pandora set is in the mail for next Friday, and I have the Nightmare Edition of Tara who I will likely paint up and sell for $Texas. I also have a 1.0 edition of Mcmourning I got for stupid cheap and haven't played.
That said, I've never seriously done a minis game, due to prices and such.
I just went down to Champaign yesterday and found out that there's a lot of former players of the game down there! Unfortunately, I heard a lot of reasons why they aren't playing now, between the change to 2nd edition and a few politics things. But hey... maybe something will pick up again.
Of course, the character I liked out of the gate won't be available till next year, and I hear this game has a bit of an elitism presence on the internet.
I hope they can capture the crowd they had back a year or so ago, kinda miss playing it
eNozN1RVNTYwUDVRNVUzUjOsMVQzRCON1UyApAmYbQZRYwaRBlOqZSYA7ZUOyQ==
There are three crews I simply won't get rid of (Perdita, Sonnia and Hoffman) because I enjoy how they play, and they're the figures I painted up, amateur that I am, so I probably won't ever part with them, even if they just end up sitting in a box for the next half century.
I'm hoping that their Malifaux RPG (Through the Breach) rekindles a little interest, but it has gone from a tentative September release to "late Q1", and there's some mixed bad blood over the M2E team nicking the TtB designer to help with the heavy lifting of the edition change. Not to mention the fact that they ran a Kickstarter for said RPG in December/January, knowing that they were going to do said Edition change but not officially telling anyone about it until early May. That's definitely garnered a little ire.
I had only played 1 game of pre-2.0 Malifaux and I remember looking at the cards for the models and thinking "god there's way too much here." And then wouldn't you know it, they streamlined the hell out of it while still retaining quintessential flavor. Hell they had a multi month open beta so everyone could try it out and say their piece. They're even doing it again now for the Wave 2 models.
Wyrd might not be perfect, but coming from WH 40k they may as well walk on water for all I know.
I'm tempted to get back into it, especially since the updated models look so incredible.
Any suggestions for two starter kits? I MIGHT be able to rope my girlfriend into giving this a shot as well...
As it is for now, if you're really digging the new kits I would recommend Lady Justice, Rasputina and Lilith.
Lady J and Lilis' boxes are both fighty with Lady Justices models being a bit more survivable and all-rounded- they have regular melee weapons, guns, and their coffins can effectively banish enemy models from the table. As for Lady J herself, she just kills and kills and kills....
Lilith's box makes great use of the "push" and "pounce" mechanics wherein enemy models that get "pushed" (by Lilith and her units' abilities) into her models have free attacks taken at them. Lilith's models also have the potential to "grow" into more mature versions of the little imps that she comes with. Lili also has some cool "tricksy" abilities that let her do things like summon forests out of no-where, completely ignoring terrain while she moves, and teleporting models around the table.
Raspy is primarily a "blasty" spell caster who also has spells that freeze (paralyze) enemy models. Her ice minions are pretty survivable due to all of them having armor, and when they do die, they explode into a shower of ice shards that damages models near them. Raspy's main trick is that she can "bounce" her spells (that is she can measure range and Line of Sight) off of her own models, greatly increasing her threat range and allowing her to engage without risking her neck in the process.
If you're curious about the others like Seamus or the Vikktorias just lemme know.
Edit- As an aside if you DO go for it, I'd advise not using any upgrade cards for your first few games as it gives you time to learn and appreciate what your models can do while not getting bogged down in the minutiae the upgrades can bring.
I'm not really interested in the older boxes, as I find the new sculpts to be VASTLY superior.
I went and ordered the 2nd edition rulebook last night. As of right now, is there a set schedule for the new releases?
The fact that a single model could (apparently, as I never played any flavour of Warhammer) have the complexity, rules and interactions of an entire WH/40K army appealed greatly to a couple of them, and the streamlining (which I agree was not necessarily a bad thing, even if I'm not a fan of some of the changes) was viewed in a generally negative light.
We'd been playing pretty hardcore for the previous year, and while I got in 2 or 3 beta games to test things out, it was basically just confirmation to those scared they were 'dumbing down' the game and that the 'flavour' of Malifaux would be gone. It didn't help that there was a giant clusterfuck of a thread on the Wyrd forums where one outspoken user went on at length about how the math behind the game needed to be tightened up, and how many outlier models should be brought more inline with the average, and then in the streamlining... some of that happened. It was, in their eyes, an official affirmation of all they hated.
Note, I don't agree with those assertions. As noted, I strove to be the voice of reason, I attempted to talk them off that figurative ledge, but I can't make people play a game, and even though 3 of the 4 within the main group aren't entirely opposed to getting some games of 1.5 in now and then, it's such a bitter topic that I'm wary of even bringing it up. I dislike some of the changes (soul stones, some lost or "rebalanced" abilities I liked having, and upgrades in general), but things like scheme markers and the random scheme availability I thought held appeal. Hell, I'm even thinking of trying to adopt one or both for 1.5. Play out using the same combat and stats on 1.5 cards, but use a random pool of schemes to choose from, along with the scheme markers.
@forar That sucks. What don't you like about the changes to soulstones? I know you used to be able to ADD flips to your total with stones, but in my opinion that breaks the shit out of Masters- especially combat based ones. I was iffy on the upgrade system at first too, but I like that they let specific playstyle variants be more powerful than they would be otherwise if everything was on one card. The changes to Horror tests is also ten times better than the old rules.
That was probably my biggest regret when I played the original version. Big awesome-looking death machine... that always died before it got to do anything.
COME FORTH, AMATERASU! - Switch Friend Code SW-5465-2458-5696 - Twitch
I do not think your new player forum link worked, however.
@Auralynx that's because I'm a doofus and didn't post it- here sir wyrd-games.net/forumdisplay.php?179-New-Players-Lounge
HUUUUGE Thanksgiving sale which will include NEW AND LIMITED KITS!
Will include unreleased sets including: Pandora, Vikktorias, Marcus, McMourning, Nicodem, Sonnia, Perdita sets that I pictured in the OP
wyrd-games.net/Newsletter_v2/Sale.html
New Perdita (not a fan of Francisco, his art in the rulebook is much more dignified):
Nicodem:
Any idea if Lady Justice vs the Viktorias would be good for beginner games/demos?
EDIT:
Also, which model is this in the upper left corner?
http://www.wyrd-games.net/Ratty_Images/Frontpage-Images.png
Lady Justice is and excellent choice for Demoing games, the Vikks not so much- for starters the Vikks are really 2 masters in 1, which can be strange for a newb to wrap their head around. Lady J's crew is straightforward, fun, and has really cool models, so it's a good way to hook in new players. (Her kit really is gorgeous, I have it.)
But damn, that Lady Justice boxed set is freaking fantastic. Loved the Death Marshal poses before and these are only better.
In the meantime I can offer you Cassandra's updated art:
As well as a new Bete Noire art:
And last but not least, here's a link to the open beta, Collete's 2nd edition rules are in there so new models notwithstanding, you can play with her right now! (It's in the "stickied" threads section of this link, enjoy!)
wyrd-games.net/forumdisplay.php?240-M2E-Wave-2-Beta&s=7331eb31fdf507daa53da871c58fdda6
(I was good and just got Sonnia. I have Pandora, the Doppleganger, Coppellius, Teddy, the Neverborn Deck, and the Orphanage scenic bases coming from Warstore.)
Remember how I said that when I got to play this, I played as Tara's crew and basically fell in love? And had been holding off on the game because she wasn't out yet?
I mentioned that I might be buying a set with my next bonus to my friend and henchman-in-training, and he linked me to the Nightmare / Smoke edition of Tara's crew. $90....
If I hadn't JUST dropped $110 on a different game, I'd be all over that. The idea of taking those smokey sets and using them without painting, or with minimal paint apps, adding some LEDs...
Man.
Apparently it'll only be available till Monday too.
Also I learned that my friends have the regular Nightmare set for her, so I got to see how big the figs are. So.. $90.. just seems so excessive.
In other news- My PANDORA ORDER SHIPPED! *squee!* That's Pandy's new box, Teddy, the Doppleganger, the Neverborn deck, and I got the "Orphanage" themed base sets.
These five are for Pandora, Candy, Kade, the Doppleganger, and (eventually) Coppellius. The sorrows and poltergeists take up their entire bases so they don't need them.
Malifaux: Convict Gunslinger
Malifaux: Freikorps Specialist x2
Malifaux: The Executioner -
Malifaux: Outcasts - Freikorps Strongarm
Malifaux: Freikorpsmann - 2 Pack figure
Malifaux: Witchling Handler figure
Malifaux: Freikorps Trapper
Malifaux: Freikorps Librarian figure
Malifaux: Desperate Mercenary - Female figure x2
Any other suggestions? I'm open to Guild suggestions, but I don't really like the constructs. I'd rather keep with the cowboy/Western theme. As for my Outcasts, I'd like to keep my Viktorias crew to all females, and I'm getting some Freikorps to hopefully supplement the inevitable plastic Von Schill box.
Tara works well with stuff that starts the game buried/ has "self-bury" mechanics (Bete Noire, Killjoy), can bury other stuff (Death Marshals), or stuff that works off of enemy willpower (the Hanged, Bishop.)
... Tara and the Death Marshals bought to put me above $100. I really wanted Nicodem and the glowy plastic for some of the other characters, but I couldn't justify that much...
Blah. Why did I have to realize I had money?
I'm waiting for a buddy to get back from vaca and then whoooooooboy there's gon' be alotta Malifaux. I expect Pandora tomorrow.
Had a blast though, ended up getting nuked by Raspi.
I couldn't really find anything to excite me in the sale, guess that's a good thing though since I still need to get my dudes painted up.
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I knew they were doing an RPG at some point... Is that already out?
Adding flips to totals was definitely a powerful mechanic, but many casters (even support based ones) benefited from this as well, in my experience. There were some for whom it wasn't quite so amazing, but perhaps as a dirty Guild player I'm just used to shooting/stabbing/exploding things in the face anyway.
Upgrades let them change things up, yes, but there were some upgrades that were mutually exclusive that were both big parts of what I identified with my masters being able to do. Not sure if it's still the case, but for a while 2 of Sonnia's were mutually exclusive, and I found it really annoying to have to pick one or the other.
That all aside, I ended up playing a game on Saturday with one of my friends when we got together for our usual weekend shenanigans. Between Dwarven Forge tiles, HeroQuest assorted bits, and a new plug and play LED lighting system I finally got to toy with, it was a pretty impressive looking board. 35 soul stones, Sonnia vs Lilith, I won, but it was a very close call. I'll try to dig up the pics and get them reduced to a reasonable size for posting.